NEW YORK –

Michelle Barbin’s job does not always fill her bucket. Yes, she likes her nine-to-five helping improve consumer experiences at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. She emphasizes she wouldn’t have spent nearly 19 years working for the health insurance provider otherwise.

But her “empathetic heart” gets true satisfaction from the company’s opportunities to apply professional skills toward resource-strapped nonprofits. Routine work — managing projects or organizing slideshows — feels more fulfilling when it involves, say, a new marketing campaign for a Pittsburgh children’s health group.

She’s reaped developmental benefits, too; she credits her leadership on a day of service for helping convince her current boss to hire her onto a new team.

“This is a huge part of why I stay,” Barbin said.

Employees increasingly find that robust workplace volunteer programs meet their desires for in-person connections, professional growth and altruistically inclined employers — career objectives that might be missing in conventional corporate atmospheres. The surge in interest coming out of the pandemic-era shutdowns that forced many Americans to reevaluate their commitments to their communities led to more corporate partners, volunteer hours and active participants in 2023 than ever before, according to Benevity, a platform that helps companies manage such programs.

More than 60 per cent of respondents reported increased participation last year in employee volunteer activities, according to an Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals survey of 149 companies.

Even employees who don’t volunteer themselves feel better about working somewhere with strong public-spirited cultures. Regardless of their own individual volunteer commitments, they feel proud about their affiliation with a socially conscious company, according to Jessica Rodell, a University of Georgia management professor who studies worker psychology.

Companies with robust volunteer programs tend to also have lower turnover rates, she said.

“Volunteering can be one tool in a company’s toolbox to help employees invest of themselves enough in the company to perform well, and then want to stay there instead of go somewhere else,” Rodell said.

It can be an especially good tool for instilling social purpose among frontline employees who tend to derive a sense of meaning from work but report detachment from their company’s mission.

But flexibility is key. Business management experts note that employees must have the freedom to choose their volunteer activities, nonprofit partners and time commitments for fruitful bonds to actually develop.

Workplace volunteering was not something that Jesse Weissman knew he wanted from employers when joined Microsoft in May 2021. Three years later, it’s an aspect of professional life that he said would warrant serious consideration if he ever pursued a new job.

Searching for a deeper connection to the Seattle community, Weissman began mentoring students of color through Microsoft’s partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and a local nonprofit. Since September 2022, he’s worked with Microsoft’s Black employee affinity group in the Seattle area to arrange speaking and mentorship opportunities for his colleagues.

“It filled a hole that I didn’t realize,” Weissman said.

Not just any slapdash activity will do, experts say. These service days are not necessarily circled on office-wide calendars as afternoons of matching tees and on-site photo opportunities. Some companies set aside regular work hours for months at a time so employees can build websites or develop business strategies for local charities.

Executives might think that a lighthearted, social effort — filling backpacks at a happy hour, for example — is necessary to turn out their fun-loving employees. But Rodell, the management professor, said that more time-intensive, meaningful programs have greater resonance with volunteers.

Best practices include following employees’ leads and meeting them where they’re at. Skills-based opportunities at Blue Cross Blue Shield range from one-day, “flash” projects to monthslong partnerships. The company sets aside 15 days annually for associates to spend volunteering, much like vacation and sick time. Affinity groups can co-create service projects.

Integrating giving into the volunteer programs is another way to engage busier, seasoned employees with less time to serve but deeper pocketbooks. Liberty Mutual matches employee gifts to more than 11,000 eligible charities. The insurance company’s volunteers are further incentivized by the chance to earn miniature grants for the charity of their choice. Totals reach US$2,500 for those who have completed 100 service hours.

Some employees recently spent parts of more than six months consulting with More Than Words, a Boston nonprofit that provides work for youth ages 16 to 24 who have cycled through foster care, courts, homeless shelters or other systems. After surveying participants, Liberty Mutual employees identified a lack of front-end support, according to Naomi Parker, the nonprofit’s chief advancement officer. Youth needed help obtaining transportation and food before they could hold down a job.

The volunteer commitments are now part of extensive ties that have seen a Liberty Mutual employee join the More Than Words board and more than US$3.4 million committed to the nonprofit since 2013. Employees have given more than US$85,000 including matches and other incentives.

“It doesn’t turn into a LinkedIn post, right?” Parker said. “It’s not a quick hit. It’s real. It’s deep. And it’s not for show.”

Volunteering can be a gateway to relationships beyond the otherwise costly, behind-the-scenes help provided by employees. The long-term partnerships in turn introduce budget-constrained nonprofits to new pools of donors.

Now is an especially good time to forge those connections given that Gen Z is forecast to overtake Baby Boomers in the workforce this year, said Blackbaud Giving Fund Executive Director Matt Nash. Over three-fifths of charitable donors recently volunteered with the organization they supported, according to a Fidelity Charitable report. As younger employees increase their earnings, Nash said, well-formed bonds can become especially lucrative for nonprofits.

Legendary Legacies Executive Director Ron Waddell had no expectations that Blue Cross Blue Shield employees would stay engaged with his nonprofit’s work rehabilitating young gang members. Several IT specialists and data analysts had helped them better capture metrics on the success of their programs — important for both feedback and grant applications. But many months later, one volunteer made a US$200 donation in what Waddell considered a testament to their honest motives.

It wasn’t “a performative measure to look good,” he said. “You could tell folks were really invested.”

After serving between 60,000 and 70,000 chicken fingers in her final weeks of operation, long-time Mitzi’s Owner Shirley Eng can finally rest after 46 years. “The first day, at least I can sleep in and I feel great, and it simply is a relief,” Eng said, as she closed her doors in mid-April. Now Mitzi’s joins 150 years of history, as the latest Winnipeg restaurant to come and go. From the Tiki stylings of The Beachcomber, to the Shanghai Restaurant in Chinatown, the preservation of Manitoba restaurants is a passion for University of Winnipeg adjunct professor Kimberley Moore.  Here are just ten of the restaurants we uncovered. For the full list, see below. (Photos: Province of Manitoba/YouTube, Ann Friesen/open table.ca, Archives of Manitoba, John Kehler/Facebook, City of Winnipeg Archives, Supplied/John Dobbin, Beachcomber/mytiki.life, Manitoba Historical Society, CTV News Winnipeg. Music: Ambient restaurant sound/Sound Diary/Free Sound Effects/YouTube) Moore and her University of Winnipeg History professor colleague Janis Thiessen co-wrote ‘Mmm… Manitoba The Stories Behind the Foods We Eat,’ a project that compiled over five years of research, interviews and podcast creation with Manitoba restaurateurs. “We decided to approach this project as an oral history project where we could learn from business owners, we could learn from patrons, we could learn from people who cook and eat in their own kitchens,” Moore said, adding the pair started the research for the book in 2018.  She said most restaurants do not exist in archives but in the memories of the people who worked and ate there. “With restaurant records in particular, it’s really not a lot of them are preserved,” Moore said, adding memorabilia such as menus end up in personal collections. Defunct restaurants post still the most visited Blogger John Dobbin said his post on defunct Winnipeg restaurants is still his most popular after a decade of writing. “If I put up a story about a certain restaurant, often they’ll be about six or seven people will say, I work there, I used to go there,” Dobbin said. He is not a historian but said restaurants are a part of collective memory here. “If people have any types of memories of Winnipeg, it sometimes isn’t necessarily the city parks or their old school,” he said, “It’s probably related to food and probably related to the fact that they had this experience in a restaurant.” He collects all of his own photos for the blog as well because restaurant history is not well-documented. “There are just so many times that a restaurant has opened and closed that there are no pictures at all,” he said. Moore still enjoys Fat Boy burgers from Gimli’s The Country Boy restaurant which still exists in the town. She said customers identify certain tastes with individual neighbourhoods. “I think as a city we acknowledge the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural nature of the North End as a starting place for people, especially like new Manitobans,” Moore said. For Dobbin, a phone at the dining table sparks memories. “The King’s Restaurant on Pembina Highway,” Dobbin said, “The King’s used to have telephones at the booths and you used to put your order in via the telephone to the kitchen. And then they would bring out your meal.” A phone at the table at the King’s Host restaurant allowed patrons to phone their order directly into the kitchen. (Supplied/John Dobbin) What Dobbin and Moore agree on is that restaurants are more than just bricks and mortar. “It’s one of the things that might have given people special memories of their neighbourhoods, events that they attended there, where there would be a graduation memorial service, Christmas parties,” Dobbin said, “These are the type of things that people will remember.” “I think the sense of community we have in a smaller city like this that, you know, kind of emerges out of these restaurants might have something to do with that,” Moore said, “Food is the doorway into something bigger and more social. So we might go to Mitzi’s for chicken fingers at first, but we keep going there because there is a sense of hopefulness.”  From left to right: Irene Wallin, Ali Collins, Shirley Eng, Rui Li and David Eng celebrated the final day of Mitzi’s operation as a family. After 46 years of serving thousands of chicken fingers, Eng can finally enjoy retirement. (Supplied/Ali Collins)

   Eng echoed that saying in her final weeks, customers came from all over North America, and on her last day, they sold more than 3,000 fingers. “You know, Winnipeg is not a small town, but, you know, for our restaurant it’s simply we’re in a small town,” Eng said. “Everybody knows everybody and it seems like they come here, they come home. So it makes a difference.” If you would like to add to our master list, send the restaurant name and any other information you have to joseph.bernacki@bellmedia.ca. A list of defunct Winnipeg restaurants over the years Alycia’s Famous for The North End special, Alycia’s – then known as Alice’s-opened first in 1971 and closed in 2018. The Ukrainian eatery opened in the old Royal Albert Arms Hotel in 2018 but closed again a short time later. Amici/Bombolini The sibling restaurants that served Italian fare on Broadway opened in 1986, and were among the most popular restaurants in Canada at one point. They closed their doors in 2017 due to struggling business. The Beachcomber Tiki-style restaurants were once all the rage and The Beachcomber boasted dozens of different styles of swizzle sticks, drinks in a pineapple and seriously hip décor. The then-chain restaurant opened in the 1960s at the now-demolished Carlton Motor Hotel. The building was taken down for the RBC Convention Centre expansion project in 2014. The Blue Note A music mecca known for cinnamon coffee, great live music and a crowd that stayed up all night, The Blue Note Café on Main Street was the place to be when the bars closed. The stage launched the careers of the Crash Test Dummies and hosted out-of-town musicians passing through like Neil Young in 1987 where he performed with The Squires, his former Winnipeg bandmates. Boon Burger Billed as Winnipeg’s first all-vegan burger cafe, in 2010, Boon Burger served plant-based patties and fries from its Sherbrook Street location, and was featured on “You Gotta Eat Here!” The restaurant closed in 2020, citing several challenges, including rising food costs, huge demand for food delivery, and the growth in vegan options in Winnipeg. Branigan’s One of the original tenants in the newly-opened Forks Market, Branigan’s was a part of a group of restaurants owned by George Tsouras. In 2005, the restaurant name was changed to The Beachcomber. Caesar’s Palace There were two locations in Winnipeg- one at Polo Park and one at Garden City Mall. Busts of the last ruler of the Rome’s Republican era adorned the walls of this restaurant. Café Chopin This European-style café was on the vanguard of restaurants and shops in the now-hip Exchange District. Opened in the 1980s, it sat at the corner of McDermot Avenue and Arthur Street, and the décor featured the famous Polish composer Frédéric Chopin alongside other piano-themed artwork. Champ’s Chicken Also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, Champs started locally in 1957/58 with a drive-in Winnipeg’s North End. For two decades, Champ’s was the chicken champion in Winnipeg. Country Kitchen An early chain restaurant that was started in Cincinnati in 1939 selling homegrown food like fries, flapjacks and the famous “Country Boy” burger. Several franchises opened in Winnipeg and the last one closed due to heavy construction on the on Queen Elizabeth Bridge Way then, the Norwood Bridge, from 1997 -1999. Dubrovnik Restaurant The upscale restaurant in a home built in 1902 began serving customers in 1976. The restaurant closed in 2012 and the building on Assiniboine Avenue was demolished a year later. Dutch Maid Queen of the excess ice cream challenge, Dutch Maid on Osborne offered the Idiot’s Delight, The Moron’s Ecstasy and The Zoo Challenge, which consisted of 25 scoops of ice cream. The prize? If you finished one, you got another one for free. Emma G’s Eatery Named after famous revolutionary and activist Emma Goldman, this late-night bohemian hang-out first set up on Cumberland Avenue and Hargrave Street in 1989 and closed in 1991. Emma’s had faux-leather couches, poetry readings and live music. Thursday nights were live music improvs where players were invited to bring their own instrument. The Garden Creperie A fern-filled and sun-soaked eatery, the 80s-era crepe restaurant on York Avenue was the height of sophistication. They cooked up an unforgettable seafood crepe and once occupied the space that became the East India Co Pub and Eatery in 1993. Happy Vineyard The German-themed restaurant had a huge barrel spiked onto the roof of their Ellice-avenue location. Anita and Sonny Seltzer created a European-type vibe where a musician would play the accordion and sing to diners as he walked from table to table. It is now the site of the Winnipeg Central Mosque. Harman’s Lunch Counter The lunch counter was inside the Harman’s Pharmacy at the corner of Portage Avenue and Sherbrook Street. The original building was built in 1904 and operated as a pharmacy in 1932. The lunch counter boasted a vintage Campbell’s Soup Warmer display that would be worth a mint today. Heaven and Art Book Café Heaven Art and Books Café was established as a hub for the Winnipeg arts and literature community in 1994. It ran for 6 years at 659 Corydon Avenue. Tim Brandt founded the membership-run centre, sold books, held musical and dance performances and exhibited local art. Kelekis A family-owned institution on Main Street since 1932, Kelekis was famous for hot dogs, hamburgers and French fries served in little, brown melamine bowls. This restaurant closed its doors in 2013. King’s Food Host A Canadian expansion of a Midwestern US chain, Manitoba was the only Canadian location of the family restaurant famous for its Cheese Frenchee Sandwiches. The restaurant also allowed you to phone in your order from the table, which appealed to children. The restaurant closed in 1974, as the company struggled in the United States, due to McDonald’s and other restaurants targeting families. Mr. Greenjeans Winnipeg’s Eaton Place opened on October 11, 1979, and Mr. Greenjeans was one of the restaurant offerings of the new downtown mall. One memorable dish was a top hat sundae full of ice cream, brownies and jelly beans big enough for a crowd. Mr. Steak One of the earliest chain steakhouses, Mr. Steak set up in Winnipeg in the 1970s. Many of the restaurants closed in the 1980s, with the final restaurant in Michigan closing in 2009. Moscovitz and Moscowitz The original restaurant at Mayfair and Main boasted excellent borscht and Jewish cuisine until it made way for a Schmeckers restaurant in 1980. Nibbler’s Nosh Once a corner stone of the developing Corydon Avenue restaurant scene, Nibbler’s Nosh was known for its Jewish cuisine like knishes and other deli faves. Owner Ernie Walter led the signing of a petition in 1995 along with 60 other restaurants calling for a ban on a local restaurant reviewer saying a bad review costs them money. Original Pancake House In 1958, the Original Pancake House opened along Pembina Highway in Winnipeg and operated for 63 years until 2021. Paddlewheel Restaurant A popular space in downtown Winnipeg that opened in 1954, the Paddlewheel Restaurant in the Downtown Bay location was known for its riverboat theme, its hot lunches and the fact it initially separated male and female customers in its restaurant. The restaurant was also popular with children, hosting breakfasts with Santa Claus and theatre productions. The restaurant closed its doors in 2013 amid the decline of the Bay downtown. However, the restaurant could see new life, as the Southern Chiefs Organization has listed a revitalized Paddlewheel as part of its vision for its redevelopment of the Downtown Bay location. The Paddock Catering to horse racing fans back when Polo Park was a track not a mall, The Paddock opened in 1952. The building was torn down in 1988 and the land is now home to Olive Garden, Red Lobster and A&W. Papa George’s A literal cornerstone in Osborne Village, Papa George’s opened in 1975 and quickly became famous for its pizza and its availability of food well-into the late-night hours. They closed in 2012. The space where Papa George’s stood is now home to a Leopold’s Tavern. Ponderosa The American steakhouse chain opened several locations in Winnipeg, including on Portage Avenue, Pembina Highway, Leila Avenue and Regent Avenue. Ponderosa largely left the Canadian market in the 1980s, with many of its locations being replaced by Red Lobster. Its final restaurants in the Maritimes closed in 2010. Pure Lard Winnipeg restaurateur Brad Linden who first operated the burrito/pad Thai eatery out of his apartment in the 1990s, moved the late-night spot to the Bate Building in Winnipeg’s Exchange District. The California-based alt-band Green Day soon scooped up Linden and he became their touring chef, providing meals throughout Europe and North America. The River Mandarin ‘Harvest in the Snow’ was a signature dish of this Chinese restaurant on River Avenue in Osborne Village. They closed in 2009. Segovia A dark, candlelit space that served tapas food and an extensive wine list, Segovia opened in 2009 on Stradbrook Avenue and closed in 2020 after temporarily closing its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many small businesses shuttered across the country at this time. Shanghai Chop Suey The Chinese cuisine spot first opened on King Street in 1935, and later moved to the Coronation Block in 1941. The long-time staple in Chinatown closed in 2010, and the building was demolished in 2012. Shakey’s Pizza The first ever pizza chain restaurant in the United States, Shakey’s first ever restaurant outside of the U.S. was opened in Winnipeg in 1968. The company is also a popular presence in The Philippines. Tubby’s Pizza A Crescentwood staple since 1965, Tubby’s had the market cornered on pizza and famous rock stars. It had a close proximity to Kelvin High School which made it a draw for the younger crowd until 2010. Wagon Wheel Located on Hargrave Street, the Wagon Wheel opened in 1951 and became famous for its sandwiches, especially its clubhouse sandwich. The restaurant closed its doors in 2012.  -With files from CTV’s Charles Lefebvre and Devon McKendrick.

Some people love to wash their car, and for others, it’s their most hated chore. It’s a necessity for car owners, so no matter where you fall on the love-hate spectrum, you want a car wash that’s going to give your car a deep clean that lasts. Automatic car washes are at almost any gas…

  When you take your car to the car wash, there are multiple add-ons available, and one common choice is spray-on wax. It may seem like it doesn’t make a difference, but there are some important benefits. And these benefits go beyond how shiny your will car looks. What Are the Benefits of Waxing Your…

Even when you are lucky enough to start with an empty room, it can be overwhelming to design an interior that you can enjoy for years to come. Following some basic interior design principles, you can transform your space into a relaxing room you will be comfortable and happy with. Decide what your focal point will be and build out from there.  For best results, keep proportion and scale in mind as you decorate as well as these tips!

 Deciding on Your Focal Point
Do you have a magnificent bay window with an incredible view?  Is there an ornate mantle that is the reason you fell in love with your home? Or is there something you absolutely MUST HAVE in the room? Situate your furniture around your chosen focal point to create balance and equilibrium. If your room does not already have an existing focal point, create one with oversized art or add an accent point like a free-standing fireplace, they come in a variety of sizes and styles. Symmetrically balance the room evenly so that both sides mirror one another.  This will help your chosen focal point stand out all the more! Use matching accent tables to flank your sofa or use different pieces of furniture to create a copacetic visual impact, like two similar armchairs to balance a sofa.
Repetition for Rhythm
Rhythm creates a flow and helps direct the eye to the differing visual elements in your room. Just as the notes of a favorite song repeat to create the rhythm, repetition in decor will create a rhythm throughout a home. Establish visual interests with a rhythm throughout your space by placing similar colours or patterns at intervals and repeat in artwork, cushions or area rugs.

Perfect Proportion and Suitable Scaling
Who doesn’t love a large, overstuffed chair? But if your room is on the smaller size it may look out of place and make your room seem even smaller than it is. Keep proportion in perspective. Proportion is the ratio between a piece of furniture and the size of a room. Scale is the size of a piece of furniture in relation to the other pieces of furniture in the room. A super large chair will overpower an apartment of loft size sofa or loveseat and create a sense of unbalance in the room.

Have your room humming harmoniously
Creating harmony will enhance how much you will continue to love your finished. Pull the room with a subdued colour palette for a pleasing, harmonious vibe.   together for a pleasing, harmonious look with a subdued color palette. You can also use a single colour for elements that vary in size and shape. Check out our blog on Doing White on White Right! for more tips!

What is the focal point in your room?  What is your best tip to find harmony and balance through your home?